Saturday Weddings In NYC

So, maybe you, like me, are planning a wedding. In New York. Possibly in or around the city. Maybe...you actually have a budget, unlike many many many nyc and tv brides. Maybe...you think that it shouldn't be so hard to impose some sort of budget rationale on halls, vendors, caterers, etc. Maybe...you don't want the same cookie cutter wedding that you've been to 10 times. Maybe you cringe at the mention of antipasta and top shelf liquor, because you never really thought that would be associated with your wedding day. Maybe...you want to run away, have a picnic, dance with some grass between your toes, wish on the first star you see for a happy marriage together and call it a night.

Thank you for being as insane as I am.

If you are just curious as to how much a wedding is at some popular sites to the north of New York, here, let me enlighten you from my day in the wedding hell that is the Catering Halls of Westchester.

Botanical Gardens: $190 pp, not including 20% gratuity and 8.5% tax, thanks abigail kirsch!
Tappan Hill: $190 pp, 20% g, 8.375% tax
Glen Island Harbour Club: $155 pp, not including 21% gratuity and 8.375% tax, I'm guessing that extra 1% in gratuity buys you the u for harbor.
Greentree Country Club: $130 pp, 20%g, 8.375% t
Lake Isle Caterers: $110 pp, 20%g, 8.375% t

with a 240 person guest list. so, take the least expensive, take that pp cost x the guest list, + 20% of that, + 8.375% of all of it, and you get $36,333. w.t.f.

Buffalo Chicken Strips and Blue Cheese Coleslaw - YUM

Saw this recipe over at chow and knew I had to make it. Needless to say, it was delightful and will last me the rest of the week in lunches. The most expensive part is the chicken, but I bought that in bulk back when I had the car. The cabbage may have been the cheapest item of produce I've ever purchased at whole foods, at 52 cents, and I only used half of it. The cole slaw is so...freaking...good. I added an apple and didn't have celery. still good. I might just have to eat this for breakfast.

I Know Why Miss Haversham Lost her Marbles

It's been a little over a week since the bf became the fiance and I've been walking on air when I'm around him, telling the story and laughing with friends. But, when left to my own devices, I'm buying wedding magazines ($22 worth), scoping out reception sites, looking at bridal gowns, AHHHH! Needless to say, I may be fired because I can't help myself at work.

In the midst of the craziness (looking at a 240+ guestlist), I've found some sources of laughter. First, Another Fucking Wedding, two crazy brooklyn kids with a kosher wedding which isn't my main concern, being Catholic and all. The bride had a great idea to look for wedding dresses on craiglist and it is a buyer's market out there. That, and just plain funny seeing what people are trying to sell them for.

Then, a zany lady over at a $10,000 wedding, who hasn't been proposed to yet, but loves all things wedding. I have a few girlfriends who could be behind this anonymous blog and so far, it is full of good ideas.

Finally, this simple sunset wedding for under $2,000 was just gorgeous and to end with grimaldi's is the ticket to my heart.

The bridal magazines all seem to sell the same thing over and over again. I kinda wish my F was a guitar strumming hippie who would take me into the woods, shake my hand and ask me what I was up to the rest of my life. But, I love my Ohio-loving, football watching, big lug of a cuddly guy who almost had me considering a 10 person bridal party to accommodate his 5 brothers and 5 friends. I just hope we can survive the planning process. And no, I will not have 10 bridesmaids. That's just nuts.

What I Didn't Buy Today

Jcrew is really putting out some fun jewelry and shoes. This is what I didn't do with my tax return. boo.

March Credit Card Update: $9,999 - Four Digits Baby!

CC1 was: $0
New Balance: $0

CC2: Was: $2488
New Balance: $2415

CC3: Was: $4634
New Balance: $4566

CC4: Was: $4652
New Balance: $3018

Old Total: $11,774
New Total: $9,999

That's right, if only by one dollar, I am BELOW ten thousand dollars in debt. This feels so good. I feel like celebrating. In addition to the fact that I just got ENGAGED. Everything is so insane. Financially, I'm torn between debt reduction and the savings we will need to build up to pay for a wedding. But right now, I am just so happy.

My combined tax return was about $1500, so I used about 900 of that to pay off debt, the rest to take a trip to visit friends, bought a dress for the 4 weddings I have this summer, gave friends their wedding present, gave other friends a nice housewarming gift, bought a fancy candle for another friend's 30th and celebrated.

I may have splurged on a $25 lip gloss. But this only happened because I went into a store that I swore I would not enter during my debt reduction. But I had to buy a birthday gift quick, and they were really the only place I could think of. Damn you Bluemercury on M Street with all of your wonderful products! You tempt me so.